Strain has been employed in semiconductor device fabrication for some time. For example, growth of lattice mismatched layers on top of each other often gives rise to strained layers where the amount of strain is determined by the lattice mismatch. Such strain can be useful for altering the band structure of semiconductors (e.g., by increasing or decreasing the bandgap energy). More recently, some methods for application of mechanical strain to a semiconductor have been investigated in this context. Such methods can have the advantage of providing a variable amount of strain compared to the fixed strain provided by lattice mismatched growth. However, it remains difficult to provide a controlled level of strain to semiconductor structures, and it would be an advance in the art to facilitate such strain control.